Air Force Zero PRICE

[spiritofmusic]

Hey Francisco, for the price they're proposing, I want a Pagani Zonda, not a Ford pick up.

 

[Lagonda]

That’s just a working prototype not the final product.
david

I would not call any of the TechDas TT’s beautiful, functional yes, not beautiful!
The AS is in a other league in the looks department !

 

[Lagonda]

Hey Francisco, for the price they're proposing, I want a Pagani Zonda, not a Ford pick up.

As usual you can not pick something normally regarded as pretty, like a Ferrari.
You have to go for the really special item Marc. Like your audio choices

 

[spiritofmusic]

Oh Lagonda, I pay Ford prices, I get Ford design. Or should I say, Polski Fiat.

Do you think any supercar manufacturer getting away with a design anything like this? Even supercar prototypes leave you breathless.

 

[Lagonda]

Oh Lagonda, I pay Ford prices, I get Ford design. Or should I say, Polski Fiat.

Do you think any supercar manufacturer getting away with a design anything like this? Even supercar prototypes leave you breathless.

You are right, it’s butt ugly ! Japanese are not exactly known for their beautiful
designs.

 

[DaveC]

Is it just me, or does that look like three designers were involved, none of whom talked to the others.

I'm sorry, but visually, that's a miss
IMHO, YMMV, YYY (Yada Yada Yada).

Yeah, had to do a double take as I thought the base was a separate isolation platform and not part of the whole. They need to hire a good industrial designer! Don't they understand that design and casework needs to be about 75% of the budget in today's market?

 

[microstrip]

Hey Francisco, for the price they're proposing, I want a Pagani Zonda, not a Ford pick up.

After some googling I found I prefer the Ford pickup looks ...

 

[spiritofmusic]

Well, I can't tell the difference, I really can't. Maybe not enough red LOL.

Btw, Japan do plenty of cool tt design.
Technics SP10
Spec GMP-8000
Original American Sound
Micro Seiki
To name just 4.

 

[ddk]

We should wait and see the final product before passing judgment, working prototypes are just that aesthetics will come in later.

david

 

[Lagonda]

Well, I can't tell the difference, I really can't. Maybe not enough red LOL.

Btw, Japan do plenty of cool tt design.
Technics SP10
Spec GMP-8000
Original American Sound
Micro Seiki
To name just 4.

Like i said , functional, not beautiful ! And i still have my doubts about the “Japanese”origin of the American Sound. Time to confess and take credit
David !

 

[ddk]

Like i said , functional, not beautiful ! And i still have my doubts about the “Japanese”origin of the American Sound. Time to confess and take credit
David !

I wish I could Lagonda but the original engineering was done by a far smarter person, I had twenty years to improve and perfect some details that led to the AS2000. There's nothing new with any turntable made today just variations on the same themes with some more successful than others.

david

 

[Lagonda]

I wish I could Lagonda but the original engineering was done by a far smarter person, I had twenty years to improve and perfect some details that led to the AS2000. There's nothing new with any turntable made today just variations on the same themes with some more successful than others.

david

And you managed to make the “old girl” one of the prettiest TT in the process !
Down to the Logo and everything else. Kudos to you David !

 

[ddk]

And you managed to make the “old girl” one of the prettiest TT in the process !
Down to the Logo and everything else. Kudos to you David !

Thanks, appreciate it Lagonda.

david

 

[Tango]

There is something about these high mass designs. I cant explain it but I can certainly hear the superiority of the American Sound over the other less heavy tts sitting next to it in my room. Techdas AF1P is excellent. No doubt about that. You can read from users comments and professional reviews. But Only when you hear it sings next to the AS you will realize why Nishigawa san has to build the AF Zero. Being the owner of AF1P, I am not so fond of the technological unnecessaries they put into it. They just make the tt more prone to irregularities and dont yield any better sound. I also dont find any benefit in having the vacuum holddown. But I press the button "suction" anyway just because it is there. Afew users in Thailand also dont use this function. The air pump suspension is another gimmick that I think Techdas can do without. Anyway, I think this AF Zero will be phenomenal with a lot more bling and features than the AS. A least two will be coming to Bangkok. I will have an opportunity to hear it next to the AS in the Living Voice and WAMM systems. Will give impressions once that happens.

Kind regards,
Tang

 

[tima]

Yeah, had to do a double take as I thought the base was a separate isolation platform and not part of the whole. They need to hire a good industrial designer! Don't they understand that design and casework needs to be about 75% of the budget in today's market?

I continue to be amazed over how much TT appearance (particularly those plastic coated exotic wood plinths) has influence on purchase decisions. Copper coated platters also seem popular. There may or may not be sonic benefits but I've read many posts where 'tables are rejected based solely on looks.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Tim, nobody ever bought a supercar based on looks ALONE. But if the Bugatti Veyron or Pagani Zonda looked anything like this, there'd be an uproar in the car community.

£350k better get you supreme performance AND aesthetics.

 

[microstrip]

I continue to be amazed over how much TT appearance (particularly those plastic coated exotic wood plinths) has influence on purchase decisions. Copper coated platters also seem popular. There may or may not be sonic benefits but I've read many posts where 'tables are rejected based solely on looks.

We have such a large choice of excellent equipment that we can afford to exclude turntables with looks we dislike. There are some pieces of equipment I consider excellent sounding that I would never own just because of the esthetics.

 

[TLi]

I visited TechDAS office/factory in Tokyo in September. Nishigawa san showed me the drawing of Air Force Zero, I was not allowed to take any photo.

At the time,they were testing the air pump used for the air bearing to determine the best pressure needed. The platter of Air Force Zero weighs more than 120 lbs. The upper platter is tungsten, it is supported by a titanium layer, gun metal and stainless steel in that order. The base is a 14 inch rotor.

There should be a second platform near the platter level. The photo is a stripped down working prototype without any cosmetic decorations. The overall external design follows Air Force One. It is a lot larger and has 4 pillars instead of 3 in AF1. If you like the look of AF1, you will like AF0.

 

[pcosta]

Does anyone know if this is a limited build. Or they will be built to order as they are sold.

 

[TLi]

Does anyone know if this is a limited build. Or they will be built to order as they are sold.

Only 50 Air Force Zero will be built. It is because TechDAS only has 50 NOS motors left from Micro Seki era. Those air bearing motors are used in AF0.

I don’t know if they’re taking preorder at the moment. At least I am not aware of it. I visited them as a potential buyer of AF0 and they did not mention anything about it.